Executive Director
Job Description
Position Title: Executive Director
Reports To: Board of Directors
FLSA Status: Exempt
Classification: Full-Time, 40 hours/week; some nights and weekends required
Compensation Range: $80,000-$100,000
BACKGROUND
Antaeus Theatre Company is an actor-driven theater company that explores and produces timely and timeless works, grounded in our passion for the Classics. We illuminate diverse human experiences through performance, training and outreach. We believe in the transformative power of live theater.
Antaeus is located at the Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center in Downtown Glendale, CA. The center includes an 80-seat theater, a reconfigurable 36-seat black box space, and a theater library.
After developing a strategic plan immediately prior to the pandemic, Antaeus is embarking on a new strategic planning process to respond to new challenges impacting non-profit theatres across the country. Antaeus also looks forward to celebrating its 35th Anniversary in 2026, a historical milestone that provides synergy with our strategic planning process and presents a unique opportunity to elevate fundraising, both short- and long- term.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Executive Director (ED) serves as Chief Executive Officer of Antaeus and also serves as an ex-officio member of the Board and all standing Board committees. The ED reports to and is responsible to the Board of Directors for all aspects of the operation of the theater, including financial management, supervision and professional development of staff, fundraising and donor stewardship, community relations/outreach, and implementation of Board policies.
In partnership with the Artistic Director (AD), the ED provides leadership and strategic direction for the organization. The ED works closely with the Board, the Chairs of each committee, and staff to accomplish the goals, values, and mission of Antaeus, all in furtherance of the organization’s Guiding Values.
The primary responsibilities of the ED are as follows:
- BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Establish and maintain a collaborative working relationship with the Board, including supporting the Board’s governance and fundraising functions; create an environment conducive to productive Board and committee meetings; contribute to the identification, recruitment and cultivation of new Board members and develop opportunities to further diversify the Board; partner with the AD and Board to develop and implement long-term strategic planning.
- FINANCIAL: Oversee the financial health of the organization, including creating fiscally responsible budgets, creating and maintaining financial controls, monitoring cash flow; oversee all aspects of banking, insurance coverage/compliance, and the organization’s obligations under its building lease agreement; oversee and ensure compliance with all federal, state and local legal requirements, including oversight of annual audits, and filing of tax returns; oversee financial reporting to the board, including creating and presenting financial statements to the Board on a regular and periodic basis; develop, implement and monitor a plan for long-term financial sustainability including growing both contributed and earned income based on strategic plan goals.
- FUNDRAISING: Work closely with the AD and Board to generate contributions through an overall strategy for year-over-year increased fundraising, including through the development, implementation, and oversight of capital campaigns; monitor fundraising progress against budget goals throughout the fiscal year; prepare fundraising reports to the Board on a regular and periodic basis; supervise fundraising activities by staff or other persons engaged by Antaeus to assist with fundraising, including overseeing grant applications and timely reporting to foundations; actively and regularly cultivate and solicit gifts from major donors, and generally oversee donor stewardship.
- MARKETING: Promote Antaeus locally and nationally through well-conceived strategic and innovative marketing, branding, and public relations campaigns; oversee identifying and overseeing programs to increase attendance through promotion of subscriptions and increased single ticket sales.
- STAFF LEADERSHIP: Effectively manage and supervise staff; create a positive and productive work environment for staff, including implementing regular staff performance reviews and providing staff with professional development opportunities; oversee staff policies and procedures and ensure compliance with applicable employment and labor laws; oversee and implement methods to increase equity, diversity, and inclusion at the staff level.
- COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS: Maintain and strengthen existing community partnerships and build new relationships that strategically align with the organization’s mission and values, including ensuring that all community partnerships center the values of equity, diversity, inclusion and access.
- ADVOCACY: In partnership with the AD, serve as a public face of the organization; represent Antaeus as its ambassador, advocate, and spokesperson to stakeholders both internally and externally, including the media, businesses and civic leaders, donors, company members, patrons, the general public, and both the local and national arts community.
- STRATEGIC PLANNING: In partnership with the AD, develop a new strategic plan to shape organizational priorities, programs and financial planning over the long term, building upon Antaeus’s strong sense of identity, its unique mission as a member-driven classic theatre company, and its acclaimed programming history since moving to its home in Glendale in 2017.
QUALIFICATIONS
The ideal candidate will be a nonprofit leader, preferably with experience in theater or the performing arts, with a strong record of organizational management, financial oversight, and fundraising success. They should bring experience managing budgets of $1M or more, developing and executing strategic plans and comprehensive capital campaigns, and have a history of fostering an inclusive, collaborative culture. The candidate must demonstrate a proven ability to cultivate and steward donors, to successfully oversee staff and operations, and to partner effectively with a board. To succeed in this role, the candidate must have strong communication and organizational skills, a passion for theater, and a commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. The candidate also must be proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, and comfortable using Customer Relationship Management software.
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
This is a full-time, exempt position. Starting pay for this position will be $80,000-$100,000. Benefits include: medical insurance, paid vacation, holidays, sick leave and parking if a car will be driven to and from the workplace. All employees at Antaeus Theatre Company undertake other duties as needed and all positions require flexible work hours, including evenings and weekends.
Consistent with Antaeus’s Guiding Values and its commitment to Inclusivity, and in support of our hiring goal to identify a highly qualified and diverse pool of candidates, we strongly encourage applicants from communities that are underrepresented in the American Theatre to apply.